Gadhafi's retribution prepared to escape across the border to Egypt, the black-market exchange rate for the Libyan dinar in rebel-held areas plummeted to as low as 1.80 against the dollar, compared with 1.25 two weeks earlier and some 1.50 last week.

Federal officials have said the case against the Johnsons' is part of a broader corruption investigation that also led to the Nov. 15 arrests of seven people, including two Prince George's County police officers, in an alleged scheme to distribute black-market alcohol and cigarettes.